There's black, there's white and then there's Jet
by CycleDown93
Summary: BACK XXXX After standing up to the Fire Lord during the day of the black sun, Zuko joins Jet and his Freedom Fighters instead of the Avatar and his gang. What will happen when the two groups clash?
1. Time of Dying

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Note: I made Zuko a year younger, so instead so sixteen he is fifteen. That's all.

Chapter One: Time of Dying

_I will not die, I will survive._ – Three Days Grace

Zuko fled from the Fire Nation as fast as he could. He moved quickly, though his feet were filled with dread. How exactly was he going to get the Avatar and his friends to forgive him especially after what he had done to them in the catacombs? He wasn't looking forward to graveling for forgiveness, but he knew he had to help restore peace. That meant he had to apologize.

Once he crossed the Fire Nation boarders safely, Zuko decided it was time to rest. He'd been traveling all day, non-stop, without breaks for food or water which may have had something to do with the fact he didn't have any food or water.

Sitting down in a clearing, Zuko wondered if he had made the right decision. Leaving his country to fight against it? He was definitely a trader now, if he wasn't already a trader before.

He laid his head down, hoping to rest at least for a couple of hours. As soon as his head hit the cold hard ground, the traitor prince heard something in the trees. He hopped to his feet and pulled out his dual swords.

A bulky dark figure stepped from the trees and into the dull moonlight. Zuko recognized him. He was the assassin he had hired to kill the Avatar.

"Umm, hi," Zuko stuttered. Out of all the things he had forgotten the guy's name. "Umm, you know you really don't have to do the job anymore." The assassin glared down at the prince as he approached. Zuko took steps back, not wanting to get to close.

"I don't work for you," he growled.

"Oh, well," Zuko said, nervously. "Problem solved."

"I work for your father." Before Zuko could comprehend what he meant, the guy shot laser beams of fire at him. Lucky, Zuko dodged them just on time.

The prince charged at the assassin with his swords ready, but another beam of fire threw him off course. Zuko was fighting a losing battle. This guy was just way too strong.

A blast of fire knocked Zuko on his back, and he felt his swords fly from his hands. His eyes were closing, though he tried to stay conscious. _Come on, get up and fight,_ he told himself. It was too late. The assassin delivered the final blow, his sword through Zuko's side, and pulled it back out triumphantly.

Zuko ran his hand along his side, and when he held it up to his face; he saw it was covered in blood. Every breath was a battle, a very painful and hard fought battle. He couldn't move. Zuko couldn't even scream. The idea of death was growing more welcoming as the intense pain in his side increased.

He was in bad shape, and he knew he was going to die. It was only a matter of minutes, maybe seconds, and Zuko couldn't wait to be rid of the pain, though he was disappointed that his death would be this way, alone, and very non heroic.

All the things he would never be able to do flashed before him, like a slideshow. Prince Zuko would be nothing but a joke in the Fire Nation, and the other side of the war would probably be relieved he was gone. Would anyone even care that he was dead? Mai, maybe. That is, if his lifeless body was ever found and if he was ever confirmed dead.

No one would care, and Zuko didn't blame them.

"_You're a horrible person, you know that?" _ The Waterbender's words echoed in the back of his mind as he lay motionless on the cold ground. That day she had been right, and now he would never get the chance to prove her wrong. He would die a monster.

That was it. Zuko took a deep breath, ignoring the horrible pain it caused him. He wasn't going to allow himself to die. He'd do everything he could to stay alive, and even he failed at least he would die trying instead of simply giving up.

No matter how hard he tried to stay awake, it was no use. His energy was already impossibly low without him losing lots of blood. The trees were blurred, and they distorted into a swirl of black and dark green. The ground beneath him was shifting.

"_Save yourself, Prince Zuko," _a voice whispered in his ear. A familiar voice, but Zuko was in no state to identify it.

"How do you expect me to do that?" Zuko yelled back to the voice as the earth began to spin faster.

Something hit Zuko's leg, and the earth stopped spinning. His leg twisted in agony. Zuko shut as eyes as tears leaked on to his face. The pain throbbed so much he screamed involuntarily.

"Jet, I think I found someone," said a voice.

It was the last words Zuko heard before drifting off, and he was almost sure that they weren't just in his head.


	2. Black and White

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Two: Black and White

3 months later

Slashing through the forest with his dual swords, Zuko allowed his uncertain thoughts to wonder. Patrolling Jet's forest, searching for Fire Nation soldiers, alone would make anyone in Zuko's condition sweat.

It had been a long recovery, and Zuko was lucky, very lucky. He wouldn't be breathing if it the Freedom Fighters hadn't found him when they did. Zuko was now almost completely healthy besides the fact he wasn't in the shape he used to be. It would take a lot of training to get back to normal.

Technically, Zuko wasn't supposed to be alone in the woods. It was a dangerous place, it being in both the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation. But Zuko was sick of staying up in the trees pretending to be dead.

When the Duke reported a group of people dressed in Fire Nation colors entering the forest, Zuko convinced them to let him come along. Once they agreed, Zuko strayed, and now he was lost. It was a stupid plan now that he thought about it. He just had to get out of the trees, and be on his own for a little while.

Now that little while was up, and he was looking for his home in the trees. He thought he was getting close when he heard people talking. Forgetting all about the forest intruders, Zuko ran for the voices, hoping they would direct him home. Zuko tripped on an overgrown root, and instead of home, he tripped right into the camp of his enemies.

"Hey, guys," Zuko said cheerfully getting up off the ground, not bothering to look around to see that his friends were not there. "I've been…"

His voice dropped as his eyes fell on the Avatar, who was dressed in red, Fire Nation clothes, and for some reason had hair, but he still had his trademark arrow. The Avatar's friends were in disguise as well, though they weren't good ones simply because they couldn't pass as Fire Nation citizens.

The Avatar and his friends quickly turned to their fighting positions, shock and disgust took total control of their facial expressions.

"You're not my friends," Zuko said, confused, and backing away from the group.

"What are you doing here, Zuko?" asked the Avatar sounding much like the child he was.

"More importantly," Katara said angrily, "why are you alive?"

"I, uh," Zuko slurred, "I live here, in the trees with my friends." He answered, lamely, but trying to be honest for once.

The gang looked at him like he was insane.

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" said Toph, "I may be blind, but I'm not stupid." The others shook their heads in agreement, all except Katara.

"It's the truth," Zuko defended himself.

Without warning, Katara shot a wave of water from her canteen at Zuko knocking him to the ground. Zuko coughed once the blow was over, and found, once again, he had cold metal pressed against his neck. Sokka stood over him with his sword.

"Let him go," said a dark, dangerous voice. Jet and the Duke entered the small clearing from behind Zuko.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Sokka commented, his sword still pressing on Zuko's neck.

"I said let him go," Jet repeated, ignoring angry glances from Katara and Aang.

"Sokka," said Aang calmly, "let him go."

Sokka put his weapon away, and withdrew back to the rest of his friends. Jet held out a hand for Zuko, and helped him up.

"Don't tell me," Katara said, "you two have joined forces?"

The three Freedom Fighters remained silent, giving Katara the answer.

"That's great," the Waterbender ranted sarcastically, "as if you two didn't do enough evil on your own."

"It depends on what you call evil," Jet shot back. Zuko listened dumbfounded. Had they known each other before this encounter? Obviously so, why else would Katara be so angry with Jet?

"Trying to drown an entire village is evil!" Katara shouted back at him.

"Not everything is black or white, Katara," Jet yelled back, feeling Zuko's questioning eyes on him. The pair of golden eyes went to Jet then to Katara, and started all over again. Jet and Katara glared at each other with such intensity it made their eyes burn.

"Wait a minute," Aang said, breaking up the argument. "Jet I thought you hated all Fire Nation. You once attacked an old man just for wearing Fire Nation colors so why are you harboring their former prince?" The Avatar sounded more curious then angry.

"That's none of your business," Jet said, frankly. "It's time we go. I suggest you leave my forest. You never know what could happen when the sun goes down."

Jet turned and beckoned for his friends to follow him. The so called former prince gave one last glance over at Katara before turning to leave.

"How do you know those guys?" Jet asked; once they were out of hear shot from the gang.

"I kind of used to follow them around the world," admitted Zuko, "you know, trying to capture them."

"Nice," Jet said, simply.

Zuko looked at the ground. "Is all that stuff they said true? About the village and the old man?"

"You have to understand," Jet stopped walking and looked directly at Zuko, "in war there is no black and white, like I said back there." Jet pointed behind him with his thumb. "You have to make the decision that hurts less people, and that's what I do."

The Duke and Zuko shook their head in agreement. He understood sacrifice, but he also understood there was a right and wrong way to sacrifice. Zuko was briefly reminded of when his father was going to sacrifice him, his only son, just to gain the throne. He wondered which kind of sacrifice Jet thought was good, but Zuko didn't question it.

After all, if it wasn't for Jet and his Freedom Fighters Zuko would be dead anyway. Zuko considered himself lucky Jet didn't kill him once he found out Li wasn't his real name. He had been pretty mad at first…

**Author's note: **Next chapter will answer Aang's question to Jet, and it has other stuff.


	3. Victims

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter Three: Victims

_When Prince Zuko opened his eyes for the first time since the attack, the sunlight shined through the leaves and nearly blinded him. He felt horrible, and the worst part was he couldn't remember what had happened. All he did remember was being stabbed. _

_He tried to move, roll on his side, but found it extremely painful causing the Prince to growl out. _

_"You're awake," said an indifferent voice from across the room, which Zuko had just noticed was poorly constructed and made of wood with nothing but heavy treetops for ceilings. _

_Zuko turned his head slowly to see who the voice was coming from. In the corner of the room sat a tall teenage boy, a couple years older than him, with brown hair messy hair. He remembered him as Jet, the boy who fought with him in Ba Sing Se, trying to prove that Zuko was indeed from the Fire Nation. This was the first time Zuko saw him since Jet got arrested that same night. _

_"You're very lucky," said Jet encouragingly, and standing up above Zuko, "that Fire Nation soldier was ruthless but we managed to chase him out of the forest. That's when The Duke found you, like I said, lucky." _

_"He wasn't a soldier," Zuko corrected weakly. It was all coming back to him now. "It's the assassin my father sent… to kill me." This comment was more to remind himself of what happened than to explain the situation to Jet, who threw Zuko a curious and sympathetic glance._

_"Li, why would your father want to kill you?" Jet asked as if Zuko were delusional. _

_"Because you were right," Zuko said, "I am Fire Nation, and my name's not Li. I'm Prince Zuko, the former heir to the throne." What made him tell Jet this, Zuko didn't know. He must have had some sort of twisted death wish._

_Jet slumped back down in the corner of what Zuko could only assume was a tree house. Fire filled his eyes, and for a second Zuko thought Jet would kill him then and there. Instead he clinched his fists, stood up, and started pacing. When he stopped this he looked Zuko in the eyes._

_"Your father," Jet said angrily, "Fire Lord Ozai killed my parents."_

_"He took my mother away from me," Zuko said, "and tried to kill me. Twice. And he gave me this." Zuko motioned to his scar. _

_"I hate all Fire Nation," Jet said passionately, "but for you I can make an exception. Your as much victim as I am, and with you, I think we can win." _

_"Win what?" Zuko asked tiredly, being fatally injured really took a lot of energy out of him, which Jet seemed to notice. _

_"Later, you go back to sleep," Jet said, leaving the room._

_Zuko had no other option so he closed his eyes, and dozed off immediately. _

Zuko threw rocks into the river, waiting for the rest of the group to be ready to go. After what he happened with the Avatar, the newest addition to the Freedom Fighters was rarely ever left out of eyesight. Jet had said Zuko was to valuable to the group to be killed, or captured. They needed him to help fight a battle that Jet had yet to tell Zuko of.

For three months, Zuko had been wondering, watching the Fighters train and he decided it was time he found out it was exactly he got himself into.

"Jet," Zuko said, "What battle is it we're preparing for, and don't say you'll tell me later. I need to know. I need to be prepared too."

"You're right," Jet agreed, catching Zuko off guard. He was expecting to have to do more convincing than that. "But it's not a battle, it's more like a mission. We're going to kill the Firelord."

"That's impossible," Zuko dismissed, "besides that's the Avatar's destiny."

"Yeah, but Aang isn't exactly stepping up, is he?" Jet reasoned, "Why not go for it our selves? It's why we need you so much. You know the Fire Nation better than most citizens, and you're well at fighting."

Zuko hesitated. If this was coming from anyone else, he wouldn't believe this was serious. What Jet was talking about was completely insane.

"Don't you want him dead?" Jet asked, "After all that he did to you. What about you're mother?"

"I'm in," Zuko said, without really thinking about it. He would help them, and he would take back his birthright, the throne of the Fire Nation.

Jet just nodded his head approvingly, "the first step is to take the town of Senjou."

Author's note: Sorry so short. Next one will be longer I promise. Oh, and more interesting.


	4. Just like Jet

Chapter Four: Just Like Jet

"_I could be mean. I could angry. You know I could be just like you." – _Three Days Grace

A sliver blade missed its intended target, and stuck in a rather large tree trunk. Zuko bounced back up from dodging Smellerbee's cheap shot. This training session was going great, but Zuko still wasn't in the condition he had been before. Now he was starting to think that would never happen again.

The training session stopped there, ruined by the long break they took to get the sword out of the tree.

"It's getting late," Smellerbee said, "I'm going to grab some sleep. You coming?"

"No, I think I'm gonna train some more," Zuko replied tiredly, repressing a yawn. Smellerbee shrugged and went up in the trees.

He had no idea at how long he'd been down there, practicing. All he knew was that he was tired, and would like nothing to do than to collapse right there. But he couldn't. He had to get back in shape, to get strong, like he was before.

"It's not coming back you know," said a voice from behind him. Zuko turned to see Jet, smiling in the moonlight.

"What's not coming back?" Zuko questioned, though he half knew the answer already.

"The way you used to fight," said Jet. "It's gone forever, like the person you used to be."

Zuko shrugged. He didn't want to believe Jet on this one, that he would never be as strong as he used to be, but what he said made sense.

"Now you can be stronger than you ever were," Jet said, as if he were reading Zuko's mind. "You just have to know how to control it."

"How?" Zuko asked, fairly interested.

"Let your anger fuel your dualing," Jet said simply.

Zuko waited for him to say something more. That was his last battling strategy. Didn't Jet know who Zuko used to be at all?

"Anger at the Fire Nation will be much stronger than your anger at the Avatar," Jet explained, "from the Fire Nation you've got more anger to draw out."

Zuko thought this over. Anger was a good source for both contact fighting and Firebending. It had worked well enough before, hadn't it? Now that Zuko really thought about it, all that anger seemed to hold him back more than make him powerful. In the end, the Fire Prince never really won.

"I don't think so Jet," Zuko dismissed the idea, "there has to be a better way."

"If there was," Jet said, "don't you think I would have found it by now?"

Zuko didn't care. He didn't ever want to resort to the same low version of himself that he was, ever if that meant his condition was a little bit off.

"Where are you going?" Jet called after Zuko.

"To bed," Zuko answered. The sun was creeping up the side of the earth. He had been training all night.

Zuko strolled back into camp later that evening, Smellerbee and Longshot, following close behind him, frustrated expressions fixed on both their faces. They had been patrolling the forest, and Zuko had been in charge of the Fire Nation soldier hunt.

Jet appeared at the other end of camp with The Duke and Pipsqueak. They were carrying bags of loot, which Zuko assumed they had liberated from soldiers.

"How was it?" Jet asked easily, and stretching, while The Duke to keep a hold of loaded bags.

"Awful," said Smellerbee giving Zuko a sharp glance.

"What happened?" The Duke asked, collapsing under the weight of the bags.

"Everything was going good," Smellerbee explained, "We trapped in a circle, and we were get about to start the attack when your second in command let him go."

"What?" Jet said, ignoring Smellerbee's jealous comment and shifting his attention to Zuko. "You let him go?"

"He was a ten year old boy," Zuko reasoned, "What was I suppose to do?"

"Take him for all his got!" The Duke exclaimed, pushing the bags off of him, and standing up.

"That's right," Jet said.

Jet and Zuko glared at each other, while the rest of the group watched the tension grow.

"Guys," Jet said, without breaking eye contact with Zuko, "give me and Zuko a minute."

Smellerbee raised her eyebrows about to protest, but decided it was best to fall out. She went, and the others followed her.

Zuko didn't know what to say. Did Jet really expect him to attack a child? After what happened to Zuko when he was only thirteen, he didn't see any justification that could be made to support this insane idea. It was cruel and wrong, that was almost the exact statement he made to his father when he left, and he would stand by it.

"I thought I made myself clear when I told you we're _against_ the Fire Nation," Jet started, "all Fire Nation."

"He was just a child," Zuko defended himself.

"Anyone who wears Fire Nation colors is a danger to us," Jet said.

"I am Fire Nation."

"You're different."

"Only because I'm useful to you," Zuko said, surprising himself. He always knew it was true, but now that it was spoken out loud it became reality. "I wondered why the Avatar and his friends hate you, but now I know the truth. You're just as cruel as I was."

"I should have known better than to let you join," Jet's face turned red with anger, "You're too emotionally involved with the Fire Nation. I should have killed you while you were weak."

_"Emotionally involved?_" Zuko spat, unbelievingly. "You're out of your mind. I thought the Freedom Fighters protected the innocent people, not attack and rob their children."

"That's it!" Jet shouted, "You're off the Senjou mission."

"That's fine," Zuko said, "because I quit your stupid gang."

Jet's face twisted with anger, and he let his mouth drop the weed he was chewing on. The leader pulled out his hook swords. "You can't quit the Freedom Fighters, not with the information you have."

Zuko got his own dual swords ready. It would be easy just to shot a couple of fireballs at him, but that wasn't fair, and Zuko wasn't about to let Jet have the satisfaction.

Jet's swords hooked Zuko's right hand sword and threw it to the side. "You're not so strong, now, are you?"

Zuko ignored him. He had spent a little over three months with Jet and the Freedom Fighters and he knew this was just part of the game.

The sword came down over his head, but Zuko was too quick. He blocked it with his left dual sword; however this blow knocked the prince off his feet.

"It's no wonder your own father hated you," Jet said, not really sounding like the Jet he knew at all, as Zuko rolled away from another stab attempt. Clearly Jet had let his anger take control. "You're weak, and you were even before the attack."

While on the ground Zuko grabbed his missing sword, and swiftly got to his feet, only to be knocked back down by a kick from Jet. This time Zuko was quite sure he wasn't getting back up. His head hit pretty hard, and he felt his swords leave his grip.

"What would your mother think of you?" Jet taunted from somewhere above him.

Zuko had shut his eyes, waiting to die for the second time that year. It seemed like everything was flashing before him in a shade of white and red. Everything anyone had ever said to him to bring him down replayed in his mind, over and over.

_"Why are you always playing with knives? You're not even that good." He heard a younger version of his sister say. "You're a horrible person you know that?" There was the Waterbender in the catacombs. "She committed unthinkable crimes that night…" "Dad's going to kill you. Really he is." _

"Enough!" Zuko shouted, scaring Jet who just watching a few feet away, but not making any attempt on Zuko's life.

Zuko jumped to his feet, swords in hands and engaged an unprepared Jet in battle. He was the best he had ever been, far better than Jet, who was now fearing the monster he had taunted. Once Zuko was in a winning position he did not kill Jet. Instead he ran the opposite direction, hoping to get out of that forest as fast as possible.

Little did Zuko know he was headed straight toward the Fire Nation, and waiting for him at the beginning of the pathway was Fire Nation secret service officers, who had been tipped off about a certain Fire Prince living in the forest by a certain ten year old boy…


	5. Better off Dead

Chapter Five: Better off Dead

He had put up a good fight, but in the end, there was just too many of them. Zuko was outnumbered by six, including the boy, a living reminder to Zuko that Jet was right. All Fire Nation was dangerous to them.

Being on the verge of death was getting really old. It was like it really was Zuko's time to die, but like so many others, death didn't want him.

Zuko watched a soldier with metal chains in hand grow near. There had to be a way out; there was always a way out. A blast of fire knocked the prince to the ground. When his head hit the dirt, his eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar white furry beast treading through sky. The Avatar…

At that point, Zuko figured he had two options; he could be a prisoner of the Fire Nation, which would eventually lead to death, or a prisoner of the Avatar and his friends, from whom he could escape easily. It wasn't exactly a tough decision to make.

Zuko hopped up while the soldiers closed in. He shot fire to the sky, which took the soldiers off guard for a moment. They too saw the flying beast in the sky, and knew what it meant. The prince smiled as one soldier arrested him and the others went after the Avatar. The lame soldiers had no idea what they were in for. Zuko himself tried and failed countless times to take down the Avatar. It was nearly impossible.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" asked the big soldier who had Zuko by the arms. Zuko shook his head no, and the soldier threw him on the ground once he was sure the prince couldn't escape.

Face down on the ground, Zuko couldn't see the battle taking place, but from the things he was hearing, it wasn't looking good for the Fire Nation. It was only a couple of minutes before the soldiers had retreated.

Zuko closed his eyes and pretended he had been knocked unconscious. It was better if he didn't talk to them right away. For some reason, when it came to talking to those people, he wasn't a very charismatic, unlike Jet, who could convince anyone anything. The supposedly unconscious prince allowed someone to roll him over, so his back was to the ground.

"Great," said the Waterbender's voice, "We just risked our lives and our covers to save Zuko."

Zuko fought the urge to smile. He just loved to make that particular girl angry. Her brother, Sokka made a groaning sound, but the rest of the group only stood silently.

"Well," said another girl's voice, Zuko remembered her name, Toph. "What are we going to do with him?"

"Leave him," Sokka said, simply.

"We can't leave him," Aang said, strongly. "He'll die, or worse, get recaptured by the Fire Nation."

"That's the point," Sokka said.

"No," Aang said, "we have no choice; we'll have to take him with us."

"We could just untie him, and then leave." Toph suggested. Katara liked that idea better. The farer away Zuko was, the safer they were.

"No, he'll only follow us," Sokka said, making sense. "That's obviously what he was doing when he was jumped."

"Then let's take him back to Jet," Toph said, determined, for some reason, to get ride of the prince.

"He's better our prisoner than Jet's partner in crime," Aang started to get frustrated.

"Better working for Jet than the Fire Nation," Toph spat back.

"Better dead than alive," Katara said darkly, standing over Zuko, looking down on him.

Aang's eyes widened, and Sokka and Toph just stared at Katara blankly. Never had she ever spoke of anybody that way, and Aang couldn't believe it. Sure Zuko was a pain to deal with, but all life was sacred. Was she really considering _killing_ another human being?

The only one who wasn't surprised at Katara's words was Zuko himself, who had such low confidence he believed he simply wasn't worthy of breathing. Pride was the only thing keeping him alive. He couldn't let his father and sister have that satisfaction.

"No," Aang said for the final time, "we're taking him with us."

Although they weren't happy about it, the gang with along with what Aang thought was best, after all he was the Avatar. Sokka and Toph lifted the prince on Appa, and were shortly joined by Katara and Aang.

The beast jumped into the air, and continued to rise until they reached a suitable height.

"So where are we headed?" Sokka asked only to break the silence.

"Senjou," said Aang, "It's a town I used to go to a lot before the war started. I think I can find a Firebending teacher there."

Zuko nearly blew his cover right then and there. Senjou was the town Jet was attacking, and with the Avatar and his annoying friends there his plans would be ruined. Zuko's loyalty and gratefulness to Jet was restored by the fact he had been right all long. The ten year old boy was a threat.

He had to warn Jet. But first he had to gain the gang's trust, and betray them. Again.

A/N: hmm…. Where do I go from here? Anyone got any ideas? Please review if you want more.


	6. Chief Jet

**Sorry it's been so so so long, and sorry that this chapter isn't nearly as good as the rest of them. I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things. The next one will be longer and better. This chapter was just me getting back to the story, so from now on the writing will be a whole lot better. **

**Disclaimer: It may have been awhile, but I still don't own Avatar.**

Chapter Six: Chief Jet

Jet grinned; taking the town of Senjou was too easy. It had crumpled immediately, and Jet was able to spare most of the villagers. He was particularly happy that none of his fighters were killed, or even injured. They were just that good.

It had been two days since the capture, and Jet watched as his fighters celebrated, and he watched the Fire Nation villagers. They looked miserable! They were ungrateful, and they had no idea. Jet was being merciful. At first, he was going to slaughter every last one of them, but then he realized, if he killed all of the villagers the town would have no more workers.

So he kept them alive. He didn't openly refer to them as slaves, but all the Freedom Fighters knew that's exactly what they were.

Sometimes, Jet wished he would have just killed them. Now was one of those times, when the old town Chief approached him, nervously. Jet hated during with the Fire Nation scum, but it was necessary.

"Excuse me, Chief," said the ex-Chief, "but I feel that it is my responsibility to tell you that before you arrived here, we acquired a prisoner of much importance."

Jet rolled his eyes. "Go on."

"Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation is Senjou's prisoner." The ex-Chief puffed out his chest proudly, as if he expected some kind of reward.

It did get Jet's attention. "Where is the prison?" The ex-Chief pointed the building out, and Jet left him them, disappointed.

Jet stepped into the old shack they called prison, and he begun to wonder how they kept Zuko there for so long. Surely the advanced Fire Bender would have found a way out of the poorly constructed cells they had.

"You didn't get too far." Jet spoke to the lump on the prison floor, which was facing the other direction. However, upon hearing a voice, Zuko turned around, and jumped to his feet.

"Jet?" Zuko asked, "What are you doing here?"

Jet didn't answer right away, but instead stared at Zuko through the prison bars.

"If you remember right," said Jet, "we had plans to capture this place."

"Yes, I remember." Zuko said, "But how? The Avatar was here!"

For a moment, Jet looked at Zuko like he was crazy, but then something flickered in his eyes, a light bulb going off. Now he remembered.

"Avatar Aang matters no longer," Jet said darkly.

"What do you mean by…" Zuko's voice faded out and his mouth hang open when he realized what Jet was saying. "You killed the Avatar?"

Jet laughed, making Zuko even more uneasy.

"Of course not," Jet said, "he was dead when I got here."

"What?" Zuko was completely lost. How much had happened after Katara stuck him in that cell? It was impossible. Zuko would have heard it. He would have heard a battle if one had happened.

"Don't be so surprised, Zuko." Jet stalked over by the wall. "The Fire Nation is terrible. I wasn't here, but I imagine that they killed them right after they handed you over."

"Them?"

"Yeah," Jet said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "That little Earth bending girl, the Avatar, Katara and her boneheaded brother."

Zuko couldn't believe it. They were all dead. The Fire Nation won. He could imagine his father was very happy. Now there was nothing to stand in his way for total world domination, nothing except Jet and his Freedom Fighters.

"You were right." Zuko admitted, hanging his head down. "That boy, he was a spy. He turned me in."

"I figured as much." Jet said, walking back over to face Zuko.

"I am sorry," said Zuko, truthfully. "I should have listened to you."

Jet took a moment to maul that over, and he smiled.

"You do realize this is the third time I've saved you." Jet pointed out, searching the surrounding area for the cell's key.

"Don't worry," said Zuko, relieved that Jet was actually letting Zuko go. He was half expecting Jet to keep him locked up there. "I will make it up to you."

"Yeah, you will," Jet said, playfully.

Zuko smiled as Jet finally found the key. The two of them could have been brothers. They made an excellent team. In fact, now that the Avatar and his gang were gone, there was no greater team than them. Or so Zuko thought.


End file.
